


Evacuate

by YoukaiLuvr



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Battle of New York (Marvel), Chitauri Attack, F/M, Gen, Mid-Avengers, Stark Tower
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-16
Updated: 2020-03-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:27:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23164723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YoukaiLuvr/pseuds/YoukaiLuvr
Summary: Loki - he's a full-tilt diva, right?  He wants flowers, he wants parades.  He wants a monument built to the skies with his name plastered...son of a bitch.Why Stark Tower was the only empty building in New York during the Chitauri attack.Originally postedhereon FF.net in 2012.
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark
Kudos: 19





	Evacuate

**Author's Note:**

> This was written in a single afternoon back in 2012, right after Avengers came out. I totally freaked out when I saw the movie for the first time, but something bothered me – we saw all these buildings being evacuated from the Chitauri attack, but not the brand-new Stark Tower. Okay, so maybe it didn’t have a full staff yet, but it obviously had enough functionality to be used as a living space, so I figured there was at least some staff there. Considering Stark Tower was the epicenter of the fight, I figured we’d see something about it being emptied. This was my attempt to remedy it.
> 
> Cross-posted on FF.net under the name Trekker4life.
> 
>  _Disclaimer:_ I own no part of the _Marvel_ franchise.

_“Loki – he's a full-tilt diva, right? He wants flowers, he wants parades. He wants a monument built to the skies with his name plastered...son of a bitch.”_

Pepper's phone rang as she was walking out of her newly completed office in the New York Stark Tower. Pulling it from her pocket, she saw the familiar image of Tony’s smirk flashing on the display. She pressed the button to answer it and lifted it to her ear, but before she could say anything, Tony’s voice blared through the speaker.

“Potts! Are you still at the Tower?” 

His voice was full of urgency as he spoke. “Tony? Yeah, I’m still here. What’s go–”

“I don’t have time to explain, but you need to evacuate the building, right now.”

Pepper immediately turned around and returned to her desk.

“Tony, where are you?” 

His voice came through again, still agitated. 

“Pep, you know I can’t tell you and, in any case, there’s no time. The Tower is about to become Ground Zero in an us-versus-them showdown and you do _not_ want to be there. Evacuate the building and get yourself out – now.”

Her fingers worked furiously on her keyboard as she listened, typing in a series of codes she memorized once and hoped never to need. Pressing ‘enter,’ she could hear a klaxon sounding on the lower levels.

“The evacuation has started. Tony, please, tell me what’s going on,” she pleaded into the phone. 

There was such a long pause she thought he’d hung up. 

“Pepper, I can’t – it’s gone to hell in a handbasket up here. This is big. Quite possibly bigger than all of us. Get the Tower empty and get yourself the hell out. Take Happy with you and get away – go back to Malibu, if you have to.”

She nodded, eyes bright, then realized he couldn’t hear a nod. 

“Alright,” she said, relieved to hear a calm voice coming from her mouth. “Will you let me know when you’re safe? When it’s safe?” 

He answered immediately. “I will, Pep. Don’t worry about me; just get yourself safe. Do that, and I’ll be fine.”

She glanced around the office, deemed everything replaceable, and walked out. 

“Okay – I’m leaving now.” 

She hesitated for just a moment, not wanting to end the conversation. 

“Tony? Can you promise me something?”

“Anything, Pepper.” 

She swallowed. “Come home to me? In one piece?” 

This time, he was the one to hesitate. “I...I’ll try, Pepper. Right now, that’s all I can promise; I’m sorry.” 

He sounded upset that he couldn’t promise more. She took his words to heart, though, and believed him.

“Just come back to me and I’ll be fine.” 

She could practically feel his grin form at her turn-of-phrase. He chuckled, then stopped suddenly at the sound of a distant voice on his end.

“Pep, I’ve got to go. Get yourself safe,” he repeated. 

“I will. And you come back in one piece to me,” she repeated, then steeling herself, spoke again. “Tony?”

“Yes, Pepper?”

“I...be safe. Please.” Her voice was pleading once again, imploring him to hear what she couldn’t say, for fear of sounding like a good-bye forever. He seemed to understand, however.

“I will. When I get back...we’ve got a lot to do, got it?” 

She imagined the look of childish energy that would cross his face in the event of any projects to plot and plan for. She couldn’t help herself; she smiled. 

“Got it, boss. See you soon.” 

“See you soon,” he repeated and closed the connection. 

She stared at her phone for a moment before hearing the sound of racing footsteps nearby. She looked up to see Happy Hogan, slowing to a walk in front of her office.

“Ms. Potts? The Tower is empty, except for you.” 

She tucked her phone into an inside pocket of her suit jacket with a fairly successful attempt at her characteristic brisk manner. 

“Alright then, Happy. We’ve got a plane to catch.”

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you think.
> 
> Come find me on Tumblr - [YoukaiLuvr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/youkailuvr) !!


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